New English Member Really Needs Some Help!!

[Englands Disney Gang]

Hi

I really hope I can get some advice and I apologise now if I am in the wrong area!!

We are coming to to Disney in 2 weeks and staying at Caribbean Beach Resort. We have not got a car so are using the Disney transport and taxis. There is myself, husband and our two sons aged 12 & 6. We have only been once to Florida before a few year ago and stayed on International Drive and used the hotel we were staying in for all our meals.

I really need some advice on meals whilst at Disney. We are on a budget as it has cost us $6000 for the holiday but I want to make it a memoriable time mainly for our sons as I know as a family we cannot afford to come over again for at least 5 years!!. Has anyone got any suggestions to where we should dine?? I like the idea of 'eat as much as you like' so we can eat light throughout the day and know we have a good meal at the end of the day and maybe some entertainment. My husband and I do like an alcohol drink but mainly this holiday is for our sons. We would LOVE some advise on where to go rembering we are on a budget!!...many thanks for any help!!

 

[oogieboogie]

Are you on the dining plan or are you just paying out of pocket?

How long are you staying at WDW?

What's your food budget per day?

 

[Englands Disney Gang]

Hi

We are staying for 2 weeks

We are not any any dining plan (dont think any are available to th Uk visitors)

There is no dining budget as we are taking it day by day we would prefer to have a few great meals and budget others!!

Thanks!

 

[allie5]

Hi there! Welcome to the DIS!!

Please come and join in on the UK forum as well, as we are a friendly bunch, always eager to help!

Food - my favourite subject . OK, there is food to fit every budget at Disney, so dont worry. You can have several "plans of attack" to keep costs down. Number one is to have a big breakfast - unfortunately, the buffet breakfasts at WDW are not cheap...offsite they are under $5 per head (less if you have a coupon) but onsite they are much more - $18+ tax for brekkie at Chef Mickeys for example. This is a character meal, and why it is more expensive. What I would do is do a grocery shop and buy a box or two of your fave cereal and you can keep a carton of milk cool in an ice bucket overnight (you can buy this from the resort shop). This will save a packet!

Alternatively, the food courts arent bad - you can get pancakes and syrup for around $5 which are very filling. Its worth buying a refillable mug each - $11 to buy then you can fill it up unlimitless times during your stay (that includes coffee, tea, milk and soda). Well worth it, especially for us Brits that tend to do long stays.

Another tip is eat your main meal at lunch time. Its often the same menu but around $7 per head cheaper. This works well for the more expensive character meal - the Crystal Palace offers a great All You Can Eat buffet. Its $20 for lunch, but $25 for dinner. That is with characters as well.

Lots of the counter service places offer great value, and lots have "toppings bars" where you can add salad, veggies, sauces etc to your burger, hotdog or sandwich which turns it into more of a meal. Buy a hot dog and fries for $7 and get free salad!! Try Cosmic Rays and Peco Bills at Magic Kingdom.

You can get very filling "snacks" at the parks too - Beaver Tails, Funnel cakes, Turkey legs, hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream etc will fill a big hole for only a few $$$.

Dont forget you can eat at ANY of the resort hotels, you dont have to be a guest and there are some dining gems to be found. Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge is a riot that your kids will adore. They offer a "family skillet" meal which consists of chicken, ribs, pork, roast potatoes, corn, coleslaw etc etc and they keep topping it up for free. You can also get "bottomless" milkshakes here (i.e you buy one and the rest are free). This is very popular with our family. Again lunch is cheaper than dinner.

Ive probably waffled enough for now, but any specific questions, please ask!

 

[SnoweyWhite]

Currently they have the free dining plan. I was under the impression it was for all visitors to Disney as long as you are staying on-site, which you are. I would suggest trying to do this, if you can. But you will need to decide what types of meals you want. It is very helpful if you can plan sit down meals, because they are rare to come by since the dining plan is free. You can read about the dining plan at the website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/tickets/packageDetailid=PackageDetailMYWDiningPkg05Page. I'm definitely no an expert on this subject, but others are. I hope this helps.

 

[WDWBetsy]

Currently they have the free dining plan. I was under the impression it was for all visitors to Disney as long as you are staying on-site, which you are. I would suggest trying to do this, if you can.

The packages are limited/subject to availability - so it might be possible that not everyone can add this on even though they're going during the promotional time. Just an FYI...

 

[allie5]

Unfortunately, most rooms booked through a UK package are not eligible for the free dining plan. UK visitors can take advantage of it, but the room has to be booked direct with Disney (either through an agent or CRO). The "pacakge holidays" sold by Virgin, TCD, MyTravel etc are exempt as the rooms are "block booked" by these companies and the free dining plan cannot be implemented. Thats what I was told anyway - if anyone knows different????

 

[swilphil]

Some fun all-you-can-eat places are: Liberty Tree Tavern, Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's. These restaurants have characters as well. We like Crystal Palace for breakfast, but they have dinner also. Two resort restaurants with fun all-you-can-eat dinners are Whispering Canyon and Ohana. You can look at all the restaurant menus at: www.allearsnet.com.

Definitely make some dining reservations (AR's or PS's) before you leave. Because of the free dining plan, you will have a hard time walking up and getting seated. You can also call from your hotel room for available seating.

 

[Gary M]

For menus at all WDW restaurants go to: http://allearsnet.com/din/dining.htm


This will show prices and the menu.

 

[Englands Disney Gang]

Thank for all your advise...the only thinkg I cannot find is how to book in advance from the UK!!. Does anyone know??
Thank you

 

[lillygator]

You can book 90 days in advance for most dining aside from the luau, Hoop Dee Doo etc which can be booked years in advance.
Just call the Disney Dining number 90 days in advance and choose your restaurants.
1-407-WDW-DINE

 

[headoflife]

There is also a toll free number. Disney doesn't publish it, but it does work. It is 1-800-828-0228. When on a budget, every little bit helps! Have a great trip!

 

[Hopefully]

Please do look at the menus on allearsnet.com and decide a few of the meaks you would like and use the above toll free number to make an ADR. Things have been busy with the Dining Plan (free or otherwise) and I don't want you to be disappointed.
The suggestion to have breakfast in your room is a good one. You should have a small refrigerator in your room for perishables like milk. It might be worth a taxi fare to go to a grocery store to pick up breakfast foods, cold drinks and some snacks for your room, especially for a longer stay.
Have a wonderful trip.

 

[abacobaby]

Since you didn't mention exactly how you are getting from the airport to your DW hotel, I thought I'd give you a suggestion.

We always use Quicksilver car service. We pay about $90 roundtrip from the airport to the hotel and then when we leave from the hotel to the airport. Included is a 30 minute grocery stop at Publix. That way you could take your time and get breakfast items, snacks, water, etc. to keep in your room, which has a fridge at no extra charge.

Just a thought......

 

[calgarygary]

I would be surprised if a 1-800 number for Disney worked in the U.K. but it might. If it doesn't, call Disney reservations at 407-824-8000. The amount of money you could save by getting free dining is well worth the call. It might facilitate things if you have the Disney reservation number from your travel agent. If Disney at first indicates that free dining is not available, you might want to inquire if it is at another resort. An upgrade to AKL or WL might be less then what you would pay for dining.

Even if free dining is not available to you, I would suggest places like Ohana, Boma, Whispering Canyon and 1900 Park Fare. I am sure that your family could fill up at these restaurants without over spending. Remember to try and get ADRs as soon as possible.

 

[undertheseas]

Hi! Just some more suggestions for you!

I would plan any sit-down meals for lunch. You can sit in the air conditioning to take a break and rest, then eat a cheaper counter service meal in the evening when it cools down (a bit HAHAHA) If you bring some things to eat for breakfast (granola bars, cereal bars, etc) you could skip paying for breakfast and that helps a lot too. Buffets are expensive but if your boys are good eaters, this will fill them up and they can eat smaller dinners.

Take water bottles to the park and refill them at water fountains. Drink LOTS of water because it will be HOT. (not trying to scare you but we want you to be healthy!)

I hope you all have fun and maybe I'll see you there!

ooops I forgot recommendations! At MGM I'd definitely say the PrimeTime 50's Cafe, it has great food, even better atmosphere and good sized portions. Here are some places we are going to try this time based on things I've seen on this board: 'Ohana, Whispering Canyon Cafe, Le Cellier, Chef Mickey, CRT (ok your boys may not like eating with princesses), Liberty Tree Tavern (oh we did eat there last time and it was great), Pecos Bill, and I forgot the rest.

Have fun!!!

 

[shondad]

While I have never been to Disney, I do have an upcoming trip (9/1-9/6). I have seen the "Trail's End Buffet" listed. The reviews all seem to be positive and it seems to be the least expensive all you can eat restaurant. It is in the Fort Wilderness Resort.

 

[mickeymousemom]

Also...I want to make sure this is known...since you are staying in a moderate, if you need to keep anything cold you WILL have a refrigerator in your room. So I do highly recommend you buy some snacks, milk, water bottles, etc and keep them in your fridge. They are the dorm size fridges, but not the small square ones. They are the taller ones and will easily hold at least a couple half gallons of milk, a few water bottles, and some food if you like. Take advantage of this and stock your fridge! I also second the Trail's End Buffet at Fort Wilderness. It may not be the fanciest place in the parks, but I have heard some good reviews and I believe breakfast is very cheap there. If you haven't already visited, I recommend you look around Deb Wills' site...www.allearsnet.com....you'll get lots of info there as well as menus and prices for pretty much everywhere onsite.

 

[erikthewise]

I don't think anyone has mentioned transportation yet.

You need to keep in mind that Disney transportation is designed to move people from resorts to theme parks and back again. It is not designed to move people from resorts to other resorts.

A separate dinner trip from Caribbean Beach to another resort, e.g. Wilderness Lodge, may take an hour or more by bus each way because you would have change buses. Avoid this type of plan, or if you must do it, plan on taking a taxi (cab).

A better idea is to tie resort dining plans to theme park visits. For example, on a day when you're at Magic Kingdom, plan a short hop by boat over to Wilderness Lodge for lunch at Whispering Canyon Cafe. Then take the same boat back to Magic Kingdom.

PS: I wish I could write British like Allie5. It is a joy reading her posts.

 

[fiveacesmmb]

I would at least call to make sure there's no possible way for you to get the free dining! Doesn't hurt to try! Good luck and enjoy your holiday!!